From Pittsburgh to Chicago with fries

I've had a string of eating at establishments featured on the Food Network or Travel Channel going lately, not that I'm particularly proud of it, but hey, things happen. This weekend featured a trip to Lucky's in Chicago (specifically Wrigleyville), which has played host to Adam Richmond and his Man vs Food show on The Food Network. Interestingly enough, the place isn't even really a Chicago-style establishment, but rather sells sandwiches inspired by the famous Primanti Brothers shops in Pittsburgh. I hadn't even realized this until I saw the them coming out from the kitchen and realized I recognized them from my trip to the steel city. Stacked tall with a layer of prime deli meat, french fries, and topped with slaw and a tomato, they make for an impressive sight. The sandwiches were first invented as a way to sell a meal to truckers on the go in Pittsburgh, but they have found a place in the hearts (and bloated bellies) of Americans because well....that's exactly the sort of thing that Americans would love.

But it wasn't just the way the sandwiches were made that helped bring them to prominence. Being an establishment that catered to truck drivers, they opened at 3am and found a secondary market in the remaining public that was up at 3am for various reasons (all of them noble I'm sure) and was in need of a late night snack. Looking back, the transition from working man's sandwich to drunk munchies seems so obvious, but at the time I think they just caught a case of being in the right place at the right time.

I've eaten at Primanti Bros in Pittsburgh, and though its hard to compare given that it was several years in between eating there and at Lucky's in Chicago, my memory tells me I liked the original better. The fact that I was fighting a nice little hangover and struggled to finish my sandwich at Lucky's might have influenced my decision as well (and then I remembered why I try to avoid hard liquor at bars). Either way though it was a pretty faithful recreation, so I imagine the rust belt would be proud of their Chicago imitators.

Full disclosure: I'm not a huge fan of the sandwiches. I can write plenty about their history and cultural significance, and how they are a Pittsburgh area staple, which is usually something I really get into when I visit places, but something about them just doesn't work for me. And sandwiches are even my favorite food. . Perhaps its the cole slaw, which seems a sad compliment to such good deli meats. And while I like fries, I also enjoy them with ketchup, something I don't like on my sandwiches. So I was a little lost as to how to complete the sandwich and keep it from tasting so dry. On the table was a bottle of ketchup and some hot sauce, but neither seemed like a good option. I really wanted some deli mustard or something of that sort. What's the proper procedure with these things? Either I am missing something or I just don't have the right tastes to enjoy these sandwiches as they are supposed to be eaten.

Anyways, if you're in Pittsburgh (or Cleveland for that matter I'm told) its a required stop, despite what I might have said in the previous paragraph. And get yourself some Yuengling while you're at it, one of the best non craft brewery beers in America. In fact, writing this post makes me want to make a trip back to Pittsburgh right now, a closer visit to see if it should indeed make the list or not. It seems odd but I honestly believe Pittsburgh enjoys a fairly good reputation right now. People speak kindly of it as a place to live, and the news media loves to play the "town re-invented" card when chronicling the rise of the Bio-Tech industry there. I have a hard time putting it on the same plane as the other cities I wrote about, but am struggling for an east coast entrant. Perhaps its a case of lowered expectations: the fact that Pittsburgh somewhat avoided the path that Cleveland and Detroit have taken is reason why its often celebrated as a success story despite having lost about half its population in the last 50 years. The list doesn't matter in the end though, just the experience. Pittsburgh was good to me, and I thank it for that.

And what was Mr. Richmond's challenge while at Luckys? He had to down 3 of those bad boys in under an hour. A truly amazing feat. As I struggled through my lone offering, I could suddenly see why it looks like he's put on quite a few pounds through the course of hosting such a gluttonous show. But hey, at least he can go on one of those celebrity weight loss shows now.